Many of Hong Kong's visitors come to this dynamic and bustling port city for one thing only—to dine. And many European and American repeat visitors come to discover new chefs, new eating adventures, new dishes. Among all the restaurants, the major culinary glory of Hong Kong is its Chinese restaurants: the true gourmet can depend on finding the finest ingredients, chefs and standards of service i
Many of Hong Kong's visitors come to this dynamic and bustling port city for one thing only—to dine. And many European and American repeat visitors come to discover new chefs, new eating adventures, new dishes. Among all the restaurants, the major culinary glory of Hong Kong is its Chinese restaurants: the true gourmet can depend on finding the finest ingredients, chefs and standards of service in the world. The following will provide useful information about Hongkong cuisine.
Cantonese Cuisine
Of all China's regional cuisines, that of Canton (Guangdong) province is generally recognized to be the finest and has been considered so for centuries.
Freshness is the keyword in Cantonese cuisine. Cooked foods must look as if they have just been harvested, plucked, or caught in the South China Sea. Steaming and stir-frying are a Cantonese cook's pride and the most popular dishes are seafood, pork, fowl and vegetables, which have an honored place in a cuisine that has been influenced by Buddhist and Taoist vegetarian beliefs.
Chiu Chow Cuisine
Seafood, ducks and geese are much favored by the Chiu Chow people, who originate from the country around Swatow. Their cuisine has been influenced by that of the Fukienese people in the adjacent province.Stronger, earthier tastes are the preference. Garlic and vinegar sauce is a palate-pleasing dip for the region's spicy goose. Tangerine jam is the sweet companion for steamed lobsters. Fish is complemented by broad bean paste. The Chiu Chow people perfected the cooking of two of south China's more expensive and subtle ingredients—sharks' fins and birds' nests.
Pekinese Cuisine
Whereas Shanghainese restaurants are generally informal, purist Beijing (or Peking) eating places tend to fit the stereotype of the Westerner's idea of a "Chinese" restaurant: red brocade, tasseled lanterns and a more formal, more "imperial" style.
A multi-course meal of Peking Duck is probably the best-known aspect of Pekinese culinary grandeur, while imperial theatricality is flamboyantly evident in the noodle-making exhibitions provided by culinary jugglers at some of Hong Kong's Beijing restaurants. The elaborate ceremony of smashing open clay-baked Beggar's Chicken is another touch of Beijing culinary class.
Szechuan Cuisine
Distinctively different from all other Chinese cuisines, Szechuan cuisine developed in the fertile but mountainous region that stayed out of the Chinese mainstream until relatively recently.
Although the peppery peasant fare absorbed many influences from the southern non-Chinese lands, the famous Szechuan chili is a native bombshell! Fried, to increase its explosiveness, it stimulates both the appetite and the palate.
Dim Sum
No Hong Kong visit would be complete without a trip to one of the territory's fine teahouses or restaurants that specialize in dim sum. Served throughout daylight hours, dim sum (literally meaning “to touch the heart”) is snacks of freshly-steamed or fried Chinese "canapes". These remarkably-diverse examples of culinary innovation (and engineering) feature many different ingredients.
As the dining capital of Asia, Hong Kong surely offers some of the finest value, the best Chinese cuisine and the most exciting variety of dining experiences. So, when in Hong Kong, the most important thing is to eat!